Vending-machine.



E. c. ANGELL' VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.18, 1912. v j fi flgg Patented June 17,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. O. ANGBLL.

VENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1912.

Patented June 17, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. U. ANGELL.

v VENDING MAGHHIE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT 18, 1912.

My 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

EDW'ARD C. ANGELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES STAMP BOOK COMPANY, INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION.

VENDING-Manama.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented June 1'2, 19] 3.

Application filed September 18. 1912. Serial No. 720.91..

' my application Serial No. 631,417, filed June 5. 1911, and my application Serial No. (557 865, filed October 3, 1911, wherein the coin serves as a connector :between an operating rock-shaft having a shallow groove or recessto receive the edge of the coin and a sleeve or concentric member which c0- operates with the grooved shaft to grip and back up the coin during the ejecting opera- The operating member preferably consists simply of the rocl'f-shaft provided with a suitable handle and having a shallow groove formed in it and the sleeve member may be of the simplest construction and is preferably mounted loosely on the rock-shaft between the bearings which support the latter. The ejecting movement may be considerably less than a half revolution and still the coin can be displaced with certainty before the parts return to normal position because at the front it is held only adjacent its lower edge and because the groove in the shaft is shallow and considerably wider than the coin. so that the latter can be readily phshed ofit' forward by contacting with an obstacle on the return stroke. The mechanism is located below the magazine to discharge the bottom article therein at each operation,

and complicated mechanism actuated by the coin-connected parts to do the actual work of ejecting is avoided.

The object of this invention is to produce a mechanism having these characteristic and advantageous features of construction and arrangement and also to provide certain further features of construction and operation which add to the reliability and effectiveness of the apparatus.

in application 631,417 the construction shown utilizes the coin itself as the ejector. In the construction shown in application 657.865 the sleeve member constitutes the ejector. The illustrative construction shown herein differs in that a third member is provided conaxial with the shaft and sleeve connected by the win, this third member being actuated by the coin-connected members after a period of lost motion, whereby the coin is advanced part way toward the position where it is dislodged before the ejector is moved.

Another feature consists in'th'e provision of means for preventing the ejector being dragged frictionally by the rock-shaft in cas'e the latter is turned when no coin has been deposited.

A further object is to construct the tilting ejector a's a section of the coin chute to guide the coin to the members which it is to connect.

Further objects and features will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention: Figure lis a fro'ntel evation of the machine with the front door open and parts broken away; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the ejecting mechanisin, the same being shown on an enlarged scale; Fig. 4. is a vertical section on the line H: of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4- showing the parts in changed position; 6 a side elevation of one of the the coin chute obstructing'mechanism; an Fig. i is a rear elevation of Fig. 6.

The machine has a suitable upright case 10-provided with a h "ed top 11 affording access to the open tops of the magazines 12, and a hinged front door 13 aflording access to the ejecting mechanism andthe coin box 14, the said front door terminating in its as to afford an article-delivery opening. The magazines 12 are of suitable form to hold each a stack of articles which may be fed downward by the followers 16. The machine shown is specially designed for vending stamp books or similar articles, and the magazines are correspondingly formed.

t will be understood that the mechanism may be employed for the vending of any articles. The magazines are open atthe bottom so as to afford access for the ejectors to the bdttom articles of the stack and also have a suitable opening at the front of the bottom through which the articles are advanced in order to slide down the guide 17 and out through the opening below the lower edge of the door 13. The magazines are magazines partly broken away illustrating lower end at a distance above the base 15 so spaced away from the back of the case by members 18, by means of which they are screwed or bolted. to the back wall, and a coin chute 1.) extends down the back of each magazine and has its upper end in registry with. a coin deposit slot 20 in the hinged top. The coin chutes are shown as straight for simplicity of construction, but it will be understood that they may atford an' irregular course for the deposit of the coin and be provided with any suitable or usual means for rejecting improper coins or tokens. lower ends at or about the bottoms of the magazines, where they deliver the coins to the ejecting n'icch'anism now to be described.

The operating member consists of a rockshaft 21 which journaled in bearings near its opposite ends in the two side walls of the case. This rock-shaft is limited to a partial revolution and is operated by handles 22 at its ends outside the case. As clearly shown in Figs. 2 to 4-, the rock-shaft extends across below the magazines and in its portions below these i'nagazincs it is provided with a shallow recess which receives the lower edge of the dep sited coin and is considerably wider than the thickness of the coin.

" Obviously the recess 2 may extend contin uously below all of the magazines in the case. Loosely mounted on the rock-shaft beneath each of the magazines is a sleeve 24 unich has an opening or slot 25- enabling the coin to enter the slot in the shaft. The recess 23 has a radial back wall or shoulder 96, which when the shaft is rocks d forward forces the lower portion of the coin against the forward edge 27 of the opening in the sleeve. The sleeve is provided at the rear edge of this opening with an outward cxten- 'sion 28, which supports and backs up the body of the'coin. The coin is thus held between the shoulder 26, the edge Bland the extcusum 2-8. and-while rigidly supported during the ejecting movement is almost en-' t-irely exposed attlie front, so that byvirtue ()friilllS fact and the shallowness and width of the-groove in the shaft it can be readily dislodged on the return stroke. This dislodgm'ent is effected by a pair of spring fingers 29 secured to the back wall of the case and projecting for aid at opposite sides of the extension 28 and at opposite sidesof the coin. The forward ends of the fingers converge so that they yield apart on the ejecting stroke and spring behind the coin where they serve as obstacles on the return stroke to push the coin forward out of the recess in the shaft and the opening in the sleeve. An ejector 30 is also mounted loosely on the rock-shaft and is engaged and actuated by the sleeve member 24 after an intervahof lost motion. To this end the extension QS-is, shown as provided with a rcarnuirdly otfset' portion 31 normally s -ed away from the The coin chutes terminate at their 7 back of theejector but contacting therewith after the sleeve has been turned for a eertain distance. The portion 31 also serves as an abutment portion to rest against af'stationary bracket 32 fixed to the back wall of the case. The member 30 is preferably bifurcated in its lower portion so as to strad' dle the sleeve 24. and is provided at opposite sides of the latter with sleeve portions 33 encircljng the shaft. The several sleeves are held in position on the shaft against lengthwisedisplacement by collars 34 and a sbacer35. I i

In order to hold the ejector 30 against 'accideutal or fraudulent operation without the deposit of a coin by such friction as may exist or developbetwcen the ejector and the shaft, a brake spring 36 is provided and bears against a shoulder 37 on the ejector. This brake spring may be secured to the back wall of the case and projects substantially straight forward, but it will be obvious that a yielding brake for this purposemay be constructed in'a 'ariety of ways.

The ejector is normally inclined upward and backward. whereby the shaft 21 and sleeve 2- to be connected by the coin are disposed substantially below the transverse center-line of the magazine and whereby the ejector has a certain amount of upward throwso as to lift the superincumbentartic'lcs'of the stack above the bottom article be- The extent of this vertical ing ejected. throw may be more or less as desired. The inclined ejector is constructed so as'to constitute in effect a'section of the coin chute. Thus it is provided with opposed channeled guides 88 which receive the side edges of the coin and guide it downward to the recess 93.

The ejector is normally positioned so that the-upper end of its coin-guiding portion receives the coin, passi'ng from the lower end of the stationary chute. .At the top and at opposite "sides of its rein-guiding portion the ejector carries aiitifriction rollers 39 mounted in bearings 10. Forward portions 41 of these bearings constitute the'means for ,engaging with the back edge of the bottom \article to push it forward out' of the stack whileithe rollers 39 travel below the article next above, thus aising the stack and reducing friction. These particular features constitute the subject-matter of another application. The rollers 39 also constitute means for insuring full return of the ejector to normal position so that it will be certain to receive the next coin from the coin chute. This the rollers accomplish by rolling on the bottom of the stack on the return stroke, thusreducing the power necessary to restore the ejector and guarding against its being struck when part way back. This feature is actly the proper position by coiiperating stops 42, i3 carried by the ejector and the bracket 32 respectively.

In order to reject coinsof insutlicient diameter and to prevent their reaching the recess 23, the coin-guiding portion of the ejector 30 is open at the back and it carries a light deflecting spring :4, which enters the coin-guide and is strong enough todeflect. an improper coin rearward through the back opening but not strong enough to ob struct a proper coin in its descent to the recess 23. This feature as capable of more or less general. use is made the subject-matter of a separate application. The parts are returned to normal position by a spring 45 which is'coiled about the rock-shaft 21 and has one of its ends anchored to a side wall of the case and its other end to the haft. The shaft is provided with two projections 46, 47, which bear against the ejector 30 and the sleeve :26 on the return stroke so as to apply the power of the spring to these members for their restoration. These pins are so positioned as to give the shaftmore or less of a start on the return stroke so that the grip on the coin is released, enabling the latter to be easily pushed out by contact with the spring fingers 29. l

Means are provided for affording a check on the number of times the mechanism has been operated. To this end a counter 48 is mounted on a bracket 49 and its shaft carries a slotted crank arm 50 which is engaged by a lateral projection 51 on the ejector 30. The counter shown is of a well known construction having a plurality of number-bearing wheels. Each forward stroke of the ejector actuates the counter and each back stroke has no effect on the countingwheels. This feature constitutes the subject of a separate application.

In order to close the coin chute against the deposit of a coin after the magazii'ie is empty or substantially so, a shutter lever 52 is fulcrumed intermediate its ends on lugs 53 projecting from the back of the magazine near the top thereof, and this lever is normally held out of obstructing posit-ion by a second long lever 5% fulcrumed intermediate its ends on lugs The upper end of this le er 54 is forked and its two arms' engage slots in tail pieces 56 of the lever The lower end of the lever 54 is also forked so as to straddle the coin chute 19, and the fingers 57 thus afforded pass through openings in the back of the magazine so as to bear against the articles therein. As long as there are articles for these fingers to bear against the shutter-lever 52 is held away from the top of the coin chute, but when the magazine is approximately empty the {in gels are free to enter this chute under the actuation of a spring 58 and this movement causes the lever 52 to tilt with its upper flanged portion over the top of the coin chute. The fingers 5T terminate at a distance above the lower end of the magazine so that the coin chute is obstructed while there are still a few articles remainin This prevents the total. exhaustion of the magazine which is an advantage since booklets or other flexible articles are liable to become bent or distorted in the act of ejecting the very last ones from the magazine.

W' hat is claimed as new is:

'1. in a vending machine, the combination with a magazine, of an operating shaft rockable forward and backward and having a recess to receive the edge of a deposited coin, a swinging ejector supported loosely on the shaft, and a sleeve also loose on the shaft and having means coiipcrating with said re cess to grip a deposited coin so that the shaft, sleeve and coin turn together, the sleeve also having a projection extending behind and spaced from the ejector so as to actuate the latter after the coin has been tilted forward a distance.

2. In a vendingmachine, the combination with a magazine, of an operating rock shaft having a recess to receive the edge of a de )osited coin. a swin 'in e'ector conaxial' with the shaft, and a member separate from the ejector and also conaxial with the shaft, said member having means whereby it is coupled to the shaft by a deposited coin and means whereby it a'ctuates the ejector after a period of lost motion.

3. In a vending machine, ejecting mechanism comprising a rock shaft supported in bearin s and having an operating handle and a coin-receiving recess, an ejecting member mounted loosely on the rock shaft, andan intermediate member also mounted loosely on the rock shaft and having means cooperating with said recess to grip a deposited coin which acts as a connector.

4. In a vending machine, the combination with a magazine, ofan operating rock shaft having a recess to receive the edge of a deposited coin, a sleeve around the shaft having an opening one side of which cooperates with said recess to grip the coin and being also provided with a projection at the other side of the opening to back up the coin, and an ejector'loosely supported by the shaft, said projection on the sleeve extending be bind the ejector to actuate the same.

In a vending machine, the combination of a magazine, a coin chute and mechanism for ejecting the bottom article from the magazine, comprising a rock shaft member having a coin-receiving recess, a sleeve memher having means for cooperating with said recess to grip a deposited coin, and a swinging ejecting member conaxial with and separate from the foregoing members and formed as a section of the coin chute to guide a deposited coin to said recess.

receiving recess, an ector loosely supported by said shaft, another member loosely mounted on the shaft and having means to cooperate With said recess to grip a deposited coin acting as a connector. a spring for restoring the shaft to normal position, and means on the shaft for restoring said ejector and member.

7. In a vending machine, the combination of an operating rock shaft having a coinreceivin recess, a sleeve mounted loosely on the shaft and having means to cooperate with said recess to grip a deposited coin aeting as a connector, and an ejecting member loosely mounted on said shaft and bifurcated to straddle said sleeve.

8. In a vending machine, the combination of-an operating rock shaft having a comreeeivin recess, a sleeve mounted loosely on the shaft and having means to cooperate with said recess to grip a deposited coin acting as a connector, an ejecting member loosely mounted on said shaft and bifureated to straddle said sleeve, and yielding coin-removing fingers projecting through said bifurcated ejecting member to spring behind the coin on the Working stroke.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of September, 1912.

EDWARD O. ANGELL. 

